I am not a dedicated raider, but I love raiding. Since I can never commit to the raiding schedules that guilds require of their raiders, I am in a constant state of pugging. When I'm not actively in a pug, I am scanning the trade channel looking for one that will have all the qualities required to be successful- gear, experience, patience, and maybe a little bit of luck. When I find such a group, I'm ecstatic. But more often than not, I face group after group of impatient, inexperienced, and under geared scrubs who simply want to be carried to the final boss so they can get their [EPIC LOOT] Those groups often end in a way that everyone who has ever pugged is familiar with- people getting frustrated and leaving. But every now and then, there is a group that fails so bad, the fail is almost a win, in and of itself, for being such a unique level of fail.

Those are the groups this blog is about.

Saturday, August 28, 2010

As a healer, I occasionally get annoyed when I watch bolts of various type of DPS smash into a mob or boss before the tank even has the opportunity to even run up and smash said critter with their weapon. And as heals, I usually just keep the offending dps class from dying as I watch them hop and run around as the tank chases after trying to regain threat.

As a tank, it's an entirely different situation. I've usually already burned one of my agro abilities as I run up to the critter and when I see that shiny bold of pure DPS pass me I have to run through the various options available to me, because I *know* whoever did it won't pause for me to build up some threat, and their early DPS will unleash the fury of anyone who was actually being kind enough to wait. Even worse than their blindingly swift ejaculation of dps all over my mob is the fact that they'll then run around the map screeching "save me, save me" but refusing to stand still and let me do so.

The frustration I feel from the realization that it's going to be one of "those" runs is quite near to the frustration any woman feels after it's over in less than thirty seconds.DPS: it's not that common, it doesn't happen to everyone, and it *is* a big deal.So sit back, take a deep breath, let the tank get agro, and concentrate on not pulling. The experience will be better for everyone because of it. Because lets face it- no matter how good you are, if you're dead after two seconds, you were not a contribution.

Friday, August 27, 2010

So every now and then I run into a group that sucks. But it's a sneaky suckage- the run has all the signs of a good run: high GS, people with the achievement, the ability to down trash and the first few bosses without vent, etc.THEN! There is a wipe. A single wipe. And after that wipe, complete chaos descends on the group. And not only does the group leader fail to control it, and to pump up and motivate the group to do better, but they join the chaos. The result looks something like this:

Sunday, August 22, 2010

I love old content. I wasn't even around when old content was new content, but I still love it. I enjoy fights that require strategy, teamwork, and skill. Encounters that you needed to research and constantly practice to become competent enough to master.

With Wrath of the Lich King came new bosses and new fights, each requiring new skills, and the old content became, well, old content. Most of it is now farmable be even the most inept players. But there are still a few dungeons with acceptably complex fights that thwart all attempts of zerging. Those are the old content fights that I enjoy the most. Fights that require the same skill from level 80's as they required from level 70's, or even 60's, back in the day when the fights were still new content.

Unfortunately, as much as I enjoy those fights and understand that they won't crumble to mere zerging, most of the population on wow seems to believe that throwing more and more 80's at a boss will do the job. And so when I'm feeling a bit nostalgic, I'll get in a group and end up /facepalming as it fails in an amazingly epic way, and then falls apart due to the fail.

Friday, August 6, 2010

So you're in a pug, be it raid or dungeon, and somebody is being a smartass or tempers are frayed, or whatever reason- somebody finally gets pissed off and leaves. This does not include situations in which a group legitimately sucks, this is just in reference to situations where somebody antagonizes another player until they leave.

Now, when this happens with a DPS, who cares? But! when they happens with a good healer or tank(shitty healers and tanks not included in my rant) my mind is simply boggled. DPS is simple to replace- one advertisement in trade channel usually does the trick. But when it happens to quality tanks and healers, the group is FORCED to sit and wait while the leader(or dungeon finder) struggles to find a suitably qualified individual to replace them. An advertisement or two in trade will usually not suffice. The raid leader will labor to find somebody and will gradually lower the standards of what they're looking for, if only to get to group up and moving. A group can get lucky and the process only take a couple minutes. But the norm for finding a suitable tank or healer is usually around half an hour or more.

And so, knowing this, I simply cannot fail to be shocked when I observe a necessary class get harassed into leaving.And along with my shock, I cannot fail to get a few chuckles at the suffering they have brought on themselves when a group annoys me into leaving.

Thursday, August 5, 2010

There's a spectrum of players you encounter when you do pugs. At the one end of the spectrum is the brand new player who is wearing all quest gear and needs each fight explained to them in painstaking detail, lest they decide to stand in a nearby fire to keep cozy and warm. And on the other end of the spectrum is the hardcore raider who has maxed out multiple characters not only in levels, but in gear and toys, and boy are they anxious to let you know it.

When you're grouped with them, they're both annoying, but I daresay that the more annoying of the two is the hardcore raider. Granted- they are experienced, and usually geared. However, I believe that is where the pro's to having them in your group end. The con list is what makes me /facepalm whenever I realize that I am in a group with them.

The beginning the list is their overconfidence. They will consistently overexert themselves, regardless of the skill and gear of their teammates. Tanks will pull more than their healers can comfortably heal. DPS will smash every cooldown and complain when their tank can't hold mobs and their healer can't keep them up under the onslaught of the agro that they just pulled.Next is their holier than thou attitudes. They will constantly bash on the group with them, passing all blame to others and then throwing insults along with salt into the wounds.Another problem that is run into is the meter linking. This person will either link the meters after EVERY pull or will ask somebody else in the group to link so that they don't look like the cocky asshole they are.Finally, they always want to tell everyone else in the group how to do their job, how to play their class, how to do every pull. It's always nice at first, but after awhile it's annoying and unnecessary.

And so, I would much prefer to be pugged with a noob, who can learn and be trained, than with a experienced raider, who is far too obnoxious and self righteous to even attempt to improve their ways.